Defense ministry launches new counterintelligence headquarters

The Defense Counterintelligence Command, seen in this file photo, is disbanded as part of the government's plan announced June 10 to dismantle the military agency, which played a key role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 martial law declaration, and split its core functions among separate organizations. Courtey of Ministry of National Defense

The Ministry of National Defense on Monday officially launched the Defense Counterintelligence Headquarters, establishing a new military organization responsible for counterintelligence as part of a broader restructuring of the former Defense Counterintelligence Command.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back presided over the inauguration ceremony at the headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, attended by senior military officers, defense officials and personnel assigned to the new organization.

“We must uproot the bad practices of the past and rebuild this organization as a professional agency focused solely on its proper mission,” Ahn said during the inauguration ceremony.

“Transparency and professionalism must ultimately lead to one thing — public trust.”

According to the ministry, the headquarters was formally established on Friday under a presidential decree issued last month. The move follows the dismantling and reorganization of the former Defense Counterintelligence Command, which became embroiled in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Dec. 3 martial law declaration.

The ministry said the new organization is intended to restore public trust while operating as a professional military counterintelligence agency.

The headquarters will oversee military counterintelligence operations, including efforts to detect and counterintelligence activities by North Korea and other foreign actors as well as terrorist threats targeting the military.

The ministry said it plans to strengthen cooperation with domestic and overseas partner agencies while strengthening its operational capabilities through the introduction of advanced equipment.

Its responsibilities will also extend to protecting defense technologies and military secrets. The headquarters will support counterintelligence activities related to U.S. Navy maintenance, repair and overhaul projects in Korea and provide security support for key strategic military assets.

In the cyber domain, the organization will help implement the military’s Risk Management Framework, or K-RMF, and expand security support for emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and satellite systems, while responding to cyberthreats affecting national defense.

As part of the broader reorganization, military security functions previously handled by the former command have been transferred to the newly established Defense Security Support Group.

The organization will conduct security inspections at corps-level and larger units, investigate security incidents and work to protect classified military information.

“The launch will help reorganize the military’s security system, improve our response to an evolving security environment and build a military security organization trusted by the public,” the ministry said.

The ministry also established a National Security Investigation Group and a Cyber Forensic Investigation Unit under the Defense Investigation Headquarters. The two organizations will handle espionage, military secret leaks and other national security crimes while expanding digital forensic capabilities.

The ministry said the three organizations will coordinate closely during the transition to prevent any gaps in military security and investigations.